Surgeons Operate On Man Suffering From “Lion Face Syndrome”

posted by Cap'n Tony | @RadioOnTheTony -
Oct 10, 2018

A man from Tamil Nadu, India - identified only as Suresh - has been suffering from a rare condition called leontiasis ossea, also known as “lion face syndrome,” which causes facial bones to grow larger than normal. Left untreated, it can cause all types of problems, including vision and breathing obstruction – it can even put fatal pressure on the brain. Thanks to Dr. Sunil Richardson, Suresh won’t have to worry about any of that, as his face has been completely transformed back to normal.

In Suresh’s case, the lion face syndrome made his jaw and cheekbones had grown painfully large, while at the same time he was left with an underground nose bridge and deep eye sockets. He started noticing the condition once he turned 18-years old, but was too poor to afford the facial surgery necessary to fix it. Luckily, he ended up being treated for free nearly 20 years later by Dr. Richardson.

Richardson has concluded that Suresh’s condition was actually caused by another one – a genetic condition called fibrous dysplasia that causes genetic mutation early on in pregnancy. “Surgical treatment is the only effective choice,” the doctor explains. “We did a cosmetic shave of the lesion without leaving an obvious scar.”